Not So Alone
by Element's Sole Protector
Summary: Kinomoto Sakura fell asleep alone and woke alone. How was she to know she wasn't alone in between?


...And now I've invaded Cardcaptor Sakura territory. Don't own, by the way.

This idea actually came to me a few days ago, and now it shall be played out. (It's set before the end of Master of the Clow, FYI. How was I supposed to know ahead of time that Eriol was a _good guy_?)

**Summary: **Sakura Kinomoto fell asleep alone and woke alone. How could she know she wasn't alone in between?

* * *

Sakura Kinomoto fell asleep alone, under the shade of a cherry blossom tree, as there was a quarter moon in the sky. Clad in one of Tomoyo-chan's many outfits (this one blue and silver), she seemed to shine under the sky's pale observance.

She was not alone for long.

A soft rustle came to her unhearing ears, right from the tree behind her. The leaves shifted and shivered--and out came Cerberus, Creature of the Seal, the sun's own symbol. Orangish-gold, he stood out tremendously in the still, dark night; yet he seemed not to care enough to revert to his temporary form. His golden eyes surveyed the scene (a busy parking lot, people strolling under trees), and lit upon Sakura--still peacefully sleeping.

He smiled. _As I expected. She's tired_.

He stretched his wings, feeling tired himself, yet not entirely willing to abandon her to the darkness of sleep. If something happened to her, on his watch, _especially _after Clow Reed's mysterious aura kept popping up everywhere...!

That was not a good road to travel down. Already he sensed that familiar-yet-eerie magic materializing around him...

As if on instinct, he strode over to his master, knelt, and laid his head in her lap, relaxing his wings, his ears still straight up, at the alert. He had often done this with Clow and been extremely comfortable--rainy days were the best times for the three of them. When Clow had woken, he had laughed and pushed his creations away--but gently, as Cerberus suspected Sakura one day might. Yes, those had been the days...

Sakura still did not rise.

They sat together, in a sort of comfortable companionship, one asleep and the other watching over. It was quiet, and the wind only rushed past every so often--as if it, too, were tired and wanted sufficient rest. Nothing stirred--except perhaps a few restless birds in nearby trees--and all seemed as if nothing would move or live ever again--not as long as the Cardcaptor slept.

But then the direction of the wind abruptly changed.

Cerberus's ears and wings pricked slightly upwards, then flattened again. He knew who was coming, and the thought did not concern him overmuch. As the wind grew stronger, he glanced briefly at Sakura to make sure she slept on (she did), then turned his sensing of magic outward, toward the one who was soon to join them.

A strong _russttttllle _took place in the tree above their heads. Sakura stirred but did not wake, while Cerberus cursed his new companion's nonchalance. Other than that, he merely gazed at the moon and stars, while waiting for them to show themself.

It wasn't long before he did.

Silvery-purple, cat-like eyes met golden from higher up, as a tall human-like figure floated down gracefully from the tree above them, shaking leaves gently from their former resting places. The man had long silver hair, tied in two places, and loose-fitting clothes. Barefoot, he hovered a few inches above the ground for a moment before settling all the way down--something rare of him.

The two Guardians looked at each other, all other thoughts temporarily discarded. Fondness was perhaps one of the last things that came to mind first--competition, rivalry, different ways of thinking, and different relationships with their masters would always separate them.

They greeted each other wordlessly.

_Cerberus..._

_Yue._

Yue looked around, taking in the surroundings unhurriedly; it nearly infuriated Cerberus, who wanted his brother's focus to come to their new master for once. His silver hair swung from one side to the other...and finally, _finally_, it rested on Sakura's sleeping form.

He did not smile.

Cerberus did not expect him to, either. Yue's feelings were always buried deep within, so deep that it probably would have taken a committee to find them and bring them to the surface. Even if he liked Sakura, one would have to look to his few actions to see even a hint of that liking.

So no, he did not smile. But he _did_ stay.

Yue walked over to the child and sat, so that their shoulders were touching; he draped his right wing across her back, so that it covered her other shoulder, and he stared outward. Cerberus, smiling, put his head and wings in a resting position again. With both Guardians at the Cardcaptor's side, all was well.

They sat like this for untold hours. Neither Yue nor Cerberus closed his eyes; they both faced forward, looking around and tuning in with their magic. If something odd happened, they would sense it.

And, once, something odd _did_ happen--an unfamiliar breeze that wasn't a breeze floated across them, tinged with darkness, and tinged with a mysterious-yet familiar aura...

Cerberus's ears pricked in warning, and his wings rose ever-so-slightly; Yue's silvery-violet eyes narrowed, and his wings stiffened; his right one tightened around Sakura, who still did not stir. _She sleeps like a _rock_ still,_ Yue thought, nearly laughing in spite of himself.

At one point during the danger, she _did _move--her head moved down to nestle in the Moon Guardian's chest, and one of her hands absentmindedly started stroking Cerberus's orangish-gold fur. When the Sun Guardian looked up at his brother, his brows rose.

Yue had smiled. Faintly, barely, but still--yet it was gone in moments.

_Ah, well._

_...Did you see that, Clow? Our little Yue has hope after all_...

The breeze floated away, taking the strangeness with it, and both Guardians relaxed back into the cherry blossom tree. There would be no danger tonight. Their master was safe.

And the moon sank down below the horizon, taking much of one guardian's power with it.

* * *

Dawn pricked at the horizon, gently, and reminded Cerberus and Yue that they had other places to be. Once she woke, Sakura would be just fine--Tomoyo or Syaoran or her family would find her, and she would be safe again. It was an easy decision--they left at the first sight of the sun.

Yue uncurled his wing from the tree and Sakura's back; Cerberus got up from her lap and stretched, flexing his wings as his brother was doing. Both glanced at each other, went to the other's side, and walked away from the sakura tree without looking back. One's wings disappeared, and the other's were folded so that they were hardly visible--and they vanished into the golden sunrise.

_You know, Yue, I was right all along._

_About what?_

_About you accepting Sakura as our new master._

_Preposterous! The only reason I came is because of the aura of Clow we sensed yet again. It wouldn't do for me to be off sleeping as that fool Yukito while my new master was being attacked._

_Of course, Yue. Of course._

_You sound like you don't believe me, Cerberus._

_I don't._

_Good to know._

* * *

Sakura Kinomoto woke alone, a little while after sunrise, and looked around herself. Yes, the cherry blossom tree was still here--yes, she was still wearing the outfit Tomoyo-chan had given her, now a little rumpled for some reason. And for some other reason, she felt a mysterious tingling in her, as if she had not been particularly alone when she slept...

_So much magic_..._but what could have happened?_

'Nothing' was the final conclusion, and so she got up and realized--

"Phweeeee! If I don't get home soon, Dad and Toya will...!!"

Sakura ran off, outfit's tail billowing behind her; wishing fervently she'd brought her rollerblades while changing the Thunder card last night.

_Whatever that was back there..._

She was nearly home, a few more blocks and she'd be there, never to notice the two pairs of eyes following her from a nearby corner...

_...I'm sure I'll be all right_.

* * *

Fin.


End file.
